Hand opening lid for cylindrical metal beverage can



July 26, 1966 PALMER 3,262,611

HAND OPENING LID FOR CYLINDRICAL METAL BEVERAGE CANS Filed Dec. '7, 1964INVENTOR. P055127 5, PALMER A TTOIZNEY United States Patent 3,262,611HAND OPENING LID FOR CYLINDRICAL METAL BEVERAGE CAN Robert E. Palmer,Bay Village, Ohio, assignor to Palmer, Incorporated, Bay Village, Ohio,a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 416,525 2 Claims.(Cl. 222-478) This invention relates to sheet metal beverage containersand particularly to a novel dispensing lid for the same.

Conducive to a better understanding of the invention, it may be well topoint out that so-called tin cans are commonly used to package beer andcarbonated beverages for the reason that such containers are relativelylight in weight, unbreakable, and good thermal conductors, so that thecontained liquid is more easily chilled than when glass bottles areused.

However, in the past all such cans required special tools to open them.

In order to overcome this drawback, many types of so-called self-openingtin cans have been developed. All of these involve the use of separatepull-tabs, or peelback elements that have to be attached to the can lid.This involves extra materials and assembling operations which greatlyincrease the final cost of such containers.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a onepiece beverage can lid that can be easily opened by merely squeezing thecan rim between the fingers and the heel of the hand.

Another object is to provide a hand opening lid for tin cans thatsimultaneously creates two' diametrically opposed openings, such thatair may enter one opening while liquid is poured from the other. tainedliquid flows from the can in a smooth stream, without the intermittentflow caused by the formation of a partial vacuum within the container,as is the case with all so-called self-opening cans now in use.

A further object is to provide a can lid, of the type stated, that canbe stacked in existing can capping machines, the same as common canlids, without the complications caused by the presence of auxiliaryopening elements.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from areading of the following specification and claims, together with theaccompanying drawing, wherein like parts are referred to and indicatedby like reference numerals, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the hand opening lid for beverage cans,that is the subject of this invention, showing it in its closed andsealed condition;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrows 22 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a diametrical sectional view taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrows 33 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view, at the lid hinge line, taken alongthe line and in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view, at the aperture shear line, taken alongthe line and in the direction of the arrows 55 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the can, showing the rim compressed, withthe pouring apertures ruptured and in their open condition; and,

FIGURE 7 is a diametrical sectional view taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrows 77 of FIG- URE 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is seen in FIGURE 1the hand opening lid for beverage cans, that is the subject of thisinvention, in its sealed Thus, the conand closed condition, broadlyindicated by reference numeral. 10.

The lid comprises a sheet metal disc 11, of a diameter to fit the topend of the cylindrical can body 17 in the conventional manner, through arim 12.

Reference numerals 15 and 16 indicate two parallel and spaced chordlines, scored on the underside of the lid, which act as base lines fortwo opposed, upwardly inclined panels 13 and 14, which are articulatedat their peak edges through a hinge line, or bead 20, as is seen mostclearly in FIGURE 4.

Reference numerals 18 and 19 indicate stiffening ribs molded in the faceof the panels 13 and -14, respectively.

Two W-shaped shear, or rupture, lines 21 and 22 are coined on oppositesides of the disc 11, immediately beyond the/termini of the hinge line20, at thereto. The rupture lines 21 and 22 are coined to a minimumthickness, that is, 0.002" to 0.003", such they will remain pressuretight, but will readily tear or shear when intentionally stressed, ashereinafter described.

The legs of the W-shaped rupture lines 21 and 22 are located as close tothe can rim 12, as possible, preferably spaced ,4 as seen in FIGURE 1.

Reference to FIGURES 2 and 3 will show that the resultant lid structurehas a peaked configuration, made up of the two panels 13 and 14 whichrise from the spaced and parallel score lines 15 and 16 to the hingeline 20, which is above the plane of the score lines 15 and 16, butbelow the plane of the can rim 12. Thus, the cans can be readilystacked.

It is a well known fact of physics that a sheet of material lying in aflat plane resists bending when subjected to pressure exerted inwardlyof its parallel edges. However, if the sheet tis initially raised at itscenter, above its base plane, it may be readily deformed by theapplication of a relatively small compressive force applied at itsedges. The latter is the situation created in the construction of mylid, and taken advantage of to provide easy opening of the lid, as nowto be described.

To open the can lid 10, the hand is placed over the lid with the heel ofthe hand bearing against the rim 12 parallel to the lid score line 15and the fingers hooked over the opposite side of the rim 12 parallel tothe second lid score line 16.

The so-positioned hand applies compressive force to the rim causing itto buckle at the points 25, adjacent the ends of the shear lines 21 and22 and moving the score lines 15 and 16 toward each other, as seen inFIGURES 6 and 7.

At the same time panels 13 and 14 are made to pivot along their baselines 15 and 16, toward each other,

raising the peak hinge line 20 above the can rim 12, as seen in FIGURE7.

This action causes the coined shear lines 21 and 22 to rupture alongtheir entire lengths to form the opposed pouring apertures 23 and 24, asseen in FIGURES 6 and 7.

The contained liquid can be poured flom either aperture 23 or 24,leaving the other one clear for the entrance of air to replace theliquid in the can 17. Thus the liquid flows from the can in a uniformand constant stream, that is easily controlled.

No manipulation, other than the squeezing of the can rim, justdescribed, is required to effect the opening of this beverage can.

It is of course to be understood, that liquids other than beverages maybe packaged in this can, such as oil, liquid chemicals, and the like.

It will now be clear that there has been provided a device whichaccomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth.

While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is tobe understood that the specific embodiment thereof as described andillustrated herein is not to be considered in a limited sense, as theremay be other forms or modifications of the invention which should alsobe construed to come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hand opening lid for cylindrical metal beverage cans, comprising, aclosure disc adapted to be permanently secured to the rim of the can,the disc having two,

spaced and parallel, chord lines scored on the underside thereof, andtwo, opposed, upwardly inclined, panels extending from the chord linesto the center of the disc and articulated at their peak edges through ahinge line; the disc also having two spaced rupture lines, coined to asubstantially lesser thickness than the balance of the disc, extendingthereacross, at 90 to the hinge line, outwardly of the termini thereof,and adapted to rupture along their entire lengths to definediametrically opposed pouring apertures, when compressive force appliedto the can rim causes the panels to pivot inwardly, toward each other,to raise the hinge line vertically, away from the rupture lines.

2. A hand opening lid for cylindrical met-a1 beverage cans, comprising,a closure disc adapted to be permanently secured to the rim of the can,the disc having two, spaced and parallel, chord lines scored on theunderside thereof, and two, opposed, upwardly inclined, panels extendingfrom the chord lines to the center of the disc and articulated at theirpeak edges through a hinge line; a plurality of spaced stiffening ribsformed in the face of the panels between the chord and peak hinge lines;the disc also having two spaced W-shaped rupture lines, coined to asubstantially lesser thickness than the balance of the disc, extendingthereacross at 90 to the hinge line, outwardly of the termini thereof,with their leg portions lying close to the can rim, and adapted torupture along their entire lengths to define diametrically opposedpouring apertures, when compressive force applied to the can rim causesthe panels to pivot inwardly, toward each other, to raise the hinge linevertically, away from the rupture lines.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RAPHAEL M. LUPO,Primary Examiner.

CHARLES R. CARTER, Assistant Examiner.

1. A HAND OPENING LID FOR CYLINDRICAL METAL BEVERAGE CANS, COMPRISING, A CLOSURE DISC ADAPTED TO BE PERMANENTLY SECURED TO THE RIM OF THE CAN, THE DISC HAVING TWO, SPACED AND PARALLEL, CHORD LINES SCORED ON THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF, AND TWO, OPPOSED, UPWARDLY INCLINED, PANELS EXTENDING FROM THE CHORD LINES TO THE CENTER OF THE DISC AND ARTICULATED AT THEIR PEAK EDGES THROUGH A HINGE LINE; THE DISC ALSO HAVING TWO SPACED RUPTURE LINES, COINED TO A SUBSTANTIALLY LESSER THICKNESS THEN THE BALANCE OF THE DISC, EXTENDING THEREACROSS, AT 90* TO THE HINGE LINE, OUTWARDLY OF THE TERMINI THEREOF, AND ADAPTED TO RUPTURE ALONG THEIR ENTIRE LENGTHS TO DEFINE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED POURING APERTURES, WHEN COMPRESSIVE FORCE APPLIED TO THE CAM RIM CAUSES THE PANELS TO PIVOT INWARDLY, TOWARD EACH OTHER, TO RAISE THE HINGE LINE VERTICALLY, AWAY FROM THE RUPTURE LINES. 